Joeun Sool Sejong

Korean pancakes (jeon)fried chicken

Fresh Cheongju Makgeolli

생 청주 막걸리

Joeunsul Sejong Brewery in Chungcheongbuk-do makes this makgeolli with a blend of rice, wheat flour, guk starter, cultured starter (jojejongguk), yeast, and corn syrup. The name 'Fresh Cheongju' is a nod to the Cheongju city identity rather than the clear rice wine style (cheongju), though the cleaner-than-average character does somewhat live up to the wordplay. At 6% ABV, it is squarely in everyday drinking territory. The aroma opens with soft rice and a wheaty breadiness that the wheat flour contributes. The first sip is smooth and pleasantly sweet, with the corn syrup providing a rounder sweetness profile than sugar would. Midpalate, a subtle yeastiness adds dimension, and the finish is neater than most rustic farmhouse makgeolli — there is less trailing sediment flavor and more of a polished, quick conclusion. Compared to nuruk-heavy traditional styles, this is more approachable and less funky, suited to drinkers who want the makgeolli texture without intense fermentation character. It transitions well from jeon at dinner to a late-night snack of spicy rice cakes (tteokbokki), and it also pairs with everyday banchan like seasoned bean sprouts, japchae, and stir-fried anchovy.

BreadyPolished

Fresh Cheongju Makgeolli — Korean Makgeolli, from Chungcheongbuk, 6%

Toasted peanutSesame-like

Udo Peanut Traditional Liquor

우도땅콩전통주

Udo Peanut Traditional Liquor from Joeunsul Sejong Brewery in Chungcheongbuk-do bridges Korean rice fermentation with Jeju Island's peanut farming tradition. Udo island, just off Jeju's east coast, is known for its distinctive peanuts — smaller and more intensely flavored than standard varieties. The rice provides the fermentation base and structural body at 6% ABV, while the Udo peanuts infuse a roasted, slightly savory character that makes this bottle genuinely distinct from grain-only traditional liquors. On the nose, toasted peanut shell and warm sesame sit above a mild grain sweetness. The first sip has a dual identity: the creamy rice texture arrives first, then the nutty flavor pushes through in the mid-palate with an almost peanut-butter-like richness. The finish is medium-length with a savory, roasted tail rather than a sweet one. This savory-leaning finish is what makes it exceptional for food pairing — it mirrors rather than contrasts the flavors of Korean banchan. Try it alongside grilled meat (galbi or samgyeopsal) where the peanut richness matches the fat, or with a spread of namul (seasoned vegetable side dishes) where the sesame-like quality creates harmony. Also works well with Korean-style popcorn chicken.

Udo Peanut Traditional Liquor — Korean Traditional Drink, from Chungcheongbuk, 6%

Wheat-bran warmthBready gosoham nuttinessSavory cereal backbone

Sejong Cheongju Fresh Makgeolli

세종청주생막걸리

Joeunsul Sejong Brewery in Chungcheongbuk-do combines rice and wheat flour (somaekbun) to produce this 6% fresh makgeolli with a broader, more bready grain profile than pure-rice styles. The wheat flour adds a distinctive chewiness and yeasty depth to the mid-palate that Korean drinkers call 'gosoham' — a warm, toasty nuttiness. The aroma opens with steamed rice and a noticeable wheat-bran warmth. On the palate, the body is medium and creamy with gentle sweetness, but the wheat component introduces a savory cereal backbone that keeps the profile from reading as purely sweet. The finish tapers with a mild, bread-like warmth. Selected as a 2015 Chajaganeun Yangjojang, this brewery sits in the broader Sejong area known for clean agricultural water. Compared to all-rice makgeolli, the wheat addition is immediately noticeable — it makes the drink feel heartier and more filling. Serve at 5-8°C with haemul-pajeon (seafood scallion pancake) where the bready grain finds kinship with the pancake batter, or with doenjang-jjigae where the wheat-grain warmth meets fermented soybean depth.

Korean pancakes (jeon)fried chicken

Steamed chestnut caramelWheat-flour backboneRounded nut sweetness

Sejong Chestnut Ju

세종 알밤주

From the same Joeunsul Sejong Brewery in Chungcheongbuk-do, this 6% makgeolli adds domestic chestnuts to a rice-and-wheat base, creating a gentle nuttiness layered over the brewery's characteristically bready grain profile. The aroma carries steamed chestnut with a faint caramel edge, mellower than raw nut and more dessert-like. On the palate, the body is creamy and medium-weight, with chestnut sweetness rounding out the wheat flour's savory edge. The starch syrup (jeonbundang) in the recipe adds body without sharp sugar spikes, and lactic acid keeps the finish from becoming heavy by introducing a subtle tartness. Selected as a 2015 Chajaganeun Yangjojang, the brewery draws on Chungcheongbuk-do's strong chestnut-growing tradition — the Sejong-Gongju corridor is one of Korea's primary chestnut regions. Compared to the Tokssoneun Albam Dongdong (which is sparkling), this pours still and denser, with the wheat flour adding a heartier backbone. Serve at 6-8°C with galbi-jjim (braised short ribs) where chestnuts are traditionally part of the dish, or with injeolmi rice cakes for a textural harmony of nutty grain on grain.

Korean pancakes (jeon)fried chicken

Restrained sweetnessEven-keeled textureClean exit

Sejong Rice Makgeolli

세종 쌀막걸리

Joeunsul Sejong Brewery in Chungcheongbuk-do produces this 6% makgeolli with domestic rice and a philosophy of restraint: the sweetness never overshoots, the texture stays even-keeled, and the finish clears without lingering. It is a workhorse makgeolli designed for the Korean dinner table rather than a tasting flight — dependable enough that you stop noticing the drink and focus on the food. The brewery holds 2015 Visiting Brewery status and a 2013 Korea Traditional Liquor Awards commendation in pasteurized makgeolli. Serve at 5-7°C with budae-jjigae (army stew) where the creamy body tempers the processed-cheese and ramen heat, or with ojingeo-sundae (squid stuffed with rice) for a textural match.

budae-jjigae (army stew)ojingeo-sundae (stuffed squid)

Sejong Rice Makgeolli — Korean Makgeolli, from Chungcheongbuk, 6%

Clean riceLemon zestSilky texture

Sejong Organic

세종 오가닉

Joeunsul Sejong Brewery in Chungcheongbuk-do ferments organic white rice with cultured starter, yeast, and refined enzymes, then adjusts acidity with citric acid for a profile that is precise and predictable without feeling sterile. The nose is quiet — clean rice and a faint lemon zest note from the citric addition. On the palate at 13% ABV, the body is light-medium with an almost silky mouthfeel, and the sweetness sits in the background, letting grain character lead. The finish is short and tidy, resolving with a subtle tartness that refreshes. It earned the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Award at the 2014 Regional Specialty Product Exhibition and was selected as a 2015 Visiting Brewery. The compact 375ml bottle is ideal for pairing with a single dish: try it alongside haemul-pajeon where the seafood's brine meets the drink's clean tartness, or with a plate of fresh hoe where the silky texture mirrors raw fish.

haemul-pajeon (seafood pancake)hoe (raw fish)

13% ABV375ml

Fresh rice branGreen apple skinRiver-stone mineral core

Organic Ido 14

유기농이도 14

Organic credentials are central to this 14% yakju from Chungcheongbuk-do: domestic organic rice, organic rice-based koji, and Korean wheat nuruk form a grain bill that reads like a manifesto for clean farming. The payoff is a profile of unusual purity — the nose carries fresh rice bran and green apple skin, with none of the funky edge that sometimes accompanies heavy nuruk use. On the palate, the body is medium with a firm mineral core, almost like river-stone smoothness, and a gentle grain sweetness that stays well behind the midpalate's dry, clean drive. Winner of the 2019 Woorisool Grand Excellence Award (yakcheongju). Serve at 10-12°C with sashimi of seasonal white fish like gwangeo (halibut) or umeok (parrotfish), where the drink's purity mirrors the fish's clarity, or alongside cheonggukjang-jjigae, where the fermented soybean stew's intensity needs a calm, grounding counterpart.

gwangeo-hoe (raw halibut)cheonggukjang-jjigae (fermented soybean stew)

raw fish (hoe)grilled meat (galbi)

14% ABV750ml

Organic Ido 14 — Korean Traditional Drink, from Chungcheongbuk, 14%

Korean Soju

Organic Ido 42

유기농 이도 42

Yuginong Ido 42 is a 42% ABV distilled soju from Chungcheongbuk-do, made entirely from 100% organic Korean rice. The commitment to organic sourcing sets this apart in a market where most craft soju uses conventionally grown grain — it represents a deliberate choice to prioritize ingredient purity at the foundation level. The distillation process transforms the rice into a spirit of remarkable clarity, where strength and smoothness coexist in a way that defies the ABV on the label. The nose is clean and understated — polished rice grain, a faint floral-yeast note, and a mineral-like purity. On the palate, the body is medium with a surprisingly silky texture for a 42% spirit. The rice character comes through as a soft, grain-sweet warmth rather than rough heat, and the finish extends with impressive length, carrying a gentle toasted-rice whisper. The spirit won the Grand Prize in the distilled-spirit category at the 2016 Korea Traditional Liquor Awards — the highest honor, confirming its standing as a benchmark craft soju. Bottled at 375ml. Serve neat at room temperature to appreciate the full grain complexity, or slightly chilled; pairs excellently with galbi (grilled short ribs) where the spirit cuts through rich fat, bossam (boiled pork wraps), and sashimi.

CleanSmooth

42% ABV375ml

Organic Ido 42 — Korean Soju, from Chungcheongbuk, 42%

Udo Peanut Traditional Liquor

우도 땅콩 전통주

Udo Peanut Traditional Liquor is a 6% ABV fermented drink from Chungcheongbuk-do that incorporates peanut powder into a rice-and-nuruk fermentation base, enhanced with starch syrup, yeast, and lactic acid. The peanut addition creates a creamy, almost milkshake-like body uncommon in Korean traditional alcohol, sitting in a unique space between makgeolli and modern flavored craft beverages. Despite the novelty ingredient, the traditional nuruk fermentation provides an underlying tang and grain complexity that keeps the drink grounded. The low ABV and smooth texture make it an approachable introduction to non-standard traditional Korean drinks.

SmoothBalanced

Banana Liquor

바나나 주

Banana Ju is a 4% ABV flavored traditional drink from Chungcheongbuk-do, produced by Joeunsul Sejong Brewery on a rice-and-nuruk fermentation base with banana concentrate added for a tropical aromatic twist. Maltose syrup (mulyeot) contributes a smooth, rounded texture that softens the banana's fruity sharpness into a creamy, dessert-like impression. At just 4%, it occupies the lightest end of the Korean traditional alcohol spectrum, making it more of a casual flavored refreshment than a contemplative sipping drink. The nuruk and yeast fermentation underneath prevent the banana note from feeling purely artificial, grounding it with mild grain tang.

SmoothBalanced

4% ABV750ml

Goesan Sejong Chal Corn Traditionalju

괴산 세종 찰옥수수 전통주

Goesan Sejong Chal Corn Traditionalju is a 6% ABV grain-based brew from Chungcheongbuk-do built around glutinous corn (chal oksusu) and white rice, yielding a savory, toasted grain profile that sets it apart from fruit-forward or purely rice-based traditional drinks. The ingredient list reveals an unusually layered formulation — nuruk, yeast, enzyme preparations, gardenia colorant, herb flavoring, and nurungji aroma compound all contribute to a complexity that belies the modest alcohol level. Citric acid and lactic acid add subtle tartness that prevents the sweetness from dominating, while the nurungji-like roasted finish lends a comforting, almost nostalgic depth. Selected as a 2015 Visiting Brewery, the producer in Goesan County represents the region's commitment to craft-scale grain fermentation using local corn varieties.

HerbalAromatic